Along the Mekong in Laos - From Luang Prabang to Huay Xai

We took a three day cruise up the Mekong River in Laos from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai.

We started the trip by driving up to the border with Laos. We left our car on the Thai side, made our way through Immigration and across the Mekong River to the airport in Vientiane. From there we flew to Luang Prabang, spent a couple of days, and then did the three day, two night cruise.

Click on any photo for a slide show. In the slide show, click on the large photo to move on to the next.

The map shows the cruise route on the Mekong River

This is the bus that takes passengers back and forth across the Friendship Bridge between Thailand and Laos.

View of the Mekong River from Luang Prabang

From our balcony at the Alounsavath Guesthouse

Wat (temple) decorated for the end of Buddhist Lent.

Breakfast on the Mekong at the Alounsavath Guesthouse

Luang Prabang has a great collection of French Provincial and traditional Lao architecture.

Wat Xieng Thong (or Temple of the Golden City) dates from the 16th century.

Wat Xieng Thong

Fortune sticks at Wat Xieng Thong

The confluence of the Mekong and Khan rivers, Luang Prabang.

Novice monks.

We stayed at the Alounsavath Guest House, right on the river.

Exploring on a rainy day.

Gin and Tonic

Women carry produce below our balcony

We took this lovely boat to the Kamu Lodge

Only four passengers

Thousands of Buddha images inside of Pak Ou cave, an ancient sanctuary.

View of the Mekong River from Pak Ou cave.

The Mekong is full and muddy this time of year.

This short YouTube video is made up of clips taken all along the Mekong cruise.

YouTube Link Here: Along the Mekong - October 2013

Buffalo on the riverbank.

Arrival at Kamu Lodge

We spent the first night at Kamu Lodge, an eco-lodge with it's dining room in the middle of rice fields. The lodge itself is located next to a Khmu village. The Khmu are the largest ethnic group in northern Laos.

The guest rooms at Kamu Lodge are large tents.

The Khmu village is in the distance.

Off to visit the Khmu village.

Khmu house with woven bamboo walls.

Khmu village

Very fat, but very tiny piglet.

Khmu basket weaver. We bought one of the round rice baskets.

Planting rice at Kamu Lodge.

Learning to shoot a crossbow.

Mam hit the bullseye!

Evening on the Mekong.

Mike tries to catch some fish. No luck.

The farmer and buffalo are leveling this field for later planting. In the background farmers are planting rice seedlings.

The next two cruise days were on this, the Luang Say boat.

Mural at a wat at Bon Bo village.

The Ban Bo villagers weave fabric out of silk and cotton for sale to tourists.

Villagers return from foraging in the forest. 

Floating mini-mart.

Onward up the Mekong.

There are many villages along the river. Some look quite modern and have electricity and mobile phone service.

We spent the second night at Luang Say Lodge.

Dusk on the Mekong at Luang Say Lodge.

Outdoor dining at Luang Say Lodge.

Last day on the river.

Morning mist on the Mekong.

One of many isolated and primitive villages.

The long line of children were unloading sweet potatoes from this boat.

Rice barn at Ban Huay Palam.

This village has electricity and satellite TV.

This ridge is the border between Laos and Thailand. Laos on the left, Thailand on the right. From this point up rive, the river defines the border.

New bridge between Laos (on the left) and Thailand. Scheduled to open in December of 2013. This is the fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.

Daughters of the owners of Bar How in Huay Xai. We had a great gin and tonic here and a good meal.

Dinner at Bar How.

We spent the night at a rather interesting guesthouse called Daauw Home. We awoke to a misty, damp morning.

Steps leading up to Wat Jom Khao Manalat in Huay Xai. That's Thailand across the river.

Wat Jom Khao Manalat

Huay Xai Airport. One flight per day.

Handwritten boarding pass. It's been a while….

Diving the Southern Gulf - Koh Krah and Losin - MV Scuba Explorer

Another dive trip to Koh Krah and Losin. Sadly, foul weather forced us to cut the cruise short by one day. So, only one day of diving at Losin. Still, lots to see and lots of fun.

I took a bus from Korat to Bangkok flew from Don Mueang Airport to Surat Thani. 

From Surat Thani airport it was a bus to Don Sak pier.

The weather looked grim.

The normal "high speed catamaran" ferry had broken down, so we got this one instead.

The sunset at Don Sak was spectacular.

Finally made it to the MV Scuba Explorer. My cabin.

The Scuba Explorer lounge.

The beach at Koh Krah. We dove here for one day, and then it was on to Losin.

This is a short (two minute) video I made of diving at Losin.

Hawksbill turtle, jellyfish, batfish, barracuda and more. 

It's much better when viewed full-screen or on YouTube.

YouTube link here: Diving Losin - September 2013

Dive logbook, Japanese style (by Naoko). We only dove Losin for one day and then had to leave because of foul weather and high seas.

From Losin we went to Songkhla. This is a car ferry across Songkhla harbor. I took the ferry to, Hua Khao, a small fishing village across from the main part of town.

A Chinese Buddhist shrine in a cave at Songkhla harbor.

Buddha images in the cave.

Barber shop.

In need of repair.

Little dead fish.

Boat yard.

Caramelized sugar factory. The sugar is heated here over a wood fire.

After it has cooled these women weigh it and put it in bags. It is used for making desserts.

Main street, Hua Khao.

I look forward to diving Losin again next June or July.

A Night at Khao Yai National Park

We took a quick trip to Khao Yai National Park for some good food, shopping and some time in the rainforest.

First stop was The Great Hornbill Restaurant at the PB Valley Khao Yai Winery. They have a wood fired pizza oven.

The pizza was good.

Then off for some shopping at Palio, a shopping center inspired by Italian villages.

This is The Smoke House. A giant restaurant inspired by medieval castles.

Gin and tonic at The Smoke House.

We stayed at the Balios Resort Khao Yai. It's also Italian-themed. This is one of the public lounge areas.

Off to Khao Yai National Park where we saw some gibbons.

And some barking deer.

Haew Suwat Waterfall. As full as I've ever seen it.

Giant tree on the way to the bottom of the falls.

Haew Suwat Falls

Short YouTube video I took of the falls.

Mam actually walked across this slippery log to a nice viewpoint.

Miss Pim was less adventurous.

Mam made it back across that log.

On the way home we stopped to marvel at another bit of Italy in Thailand. This is the ultra-high-end property development called Toscana Valley.

Bike Ride - September 8, 2013

I set out on my bicycle for Ban Phutsa and Wat Prang Torng and then decided to head over to Kam Talay Soh and Kok Kruat.

Planting rice.

Wat Prang Torng near Ban Phutsa. This is an 11th Century Khmer Prang (tower). Yes, the tower leans that far over.

The lintel depicts the Hindu god Indra riding his three headed elephant, Erawan.

Leaf shaped stones (Sema stones) are used to mark the sacred area of the ordination hall (ubosot) of a Buddhist temple (wat). There are many very old and worn Sema stones scattered around this wat.

Discarded spirit houses. When people discard a spirit house they tend to toss them in a place where they will be kept company by other discarded spirit houses.

This railway overpass has been under construction for three years. I finally got to ride over it today.

I got a nice view of the railway line from the top.

After three hours of riding, I needed a coffee break. This is old fashioned Thai coffee made with a filter shaped like a sock. It is usually sweetened with condensed milk and topped off with canned milk.